Museums by the numbers

The art and artifacts that everyone wants to see

by CAMILLE CHIN  September 2017

The National Museum of China in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square consists of a 2000-year-old jade burial suit made for King Liu Xiu, a life-sized bronze acupuncture statue from the 15th century and ancient Chinese money on the top floor and it ranks as the most visited museum in the world. According to numbers released by the international non-profit Themed Entertainment Association based in California, the Beijing landmark welcomed over 7.5 million people last year. Admission is free. The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC (also free to enter) received almost as many visitors; the Louvre (admission €15) was the third most visited, though attendance there and at London’s British Museum were the only two museums in the top 10 where attendance dropped last year compared to 2015.